Systems used to perform data storage operations of electronic data are growing in complexity. However, current systems may not be able to accommodate increased data storage demands or efficient and timely restore operations.
Often, these systems are required to store large amounts of data (e.g. all of a company's data files) during a time period known as a “storage window.” The storage window defines a duration and actual time period when the system may perform storage operations. For example, a storage window may be for twelve hours, between 6 PM and 6 μM (that is, twelve non-business hours).
Often, storage windows are rigid and unable to be modified. Therefore, when data storage systems attempt to store increasing data loads, they may need to do so without increasing the time in which they operate. Additionally, many systems perform daily stores, which may add further reliance on completing storage operations during allotted storage windows.
Additionally, or alternatively, current systems may attempt to store a large number of distinct jobs, or groups of data, chunks of data, and so on. The system may look at each job as a separate storage operation, which often leads to fragmentation on secondary storage devices (tapes, magnetic disks, and so on) that receive data stores as the storage devices develop small gaps of unused space between spaces containing data. In these cases, the system may inefficiently restore stored data because of the fragmentation that occurs during the data storage process.
The foregoing examples of some existing limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the Detailed Description below. These and other problems exist with respect to data storage management systems.
In the drawings, the same reference numbers and acronyms identify elements or acts with the same or similar functionality for ease of understanding and convenience. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the Figure number in which that element is first introduced (e.g., element 1120 is first introduced and discussed with respect to FIG. 11).